I cant believe that it has been a year since I came onto this forum looking for Burgan advice for a rough camp Pennine walk, and got lost in the threads, ending up in Borneo.
Truth is that it was a long held ambition of mine to get into virgin jungle rain forest before it's all lost to the loggers.
Secondly I had a latent interest in how indigenous peoples live in these environments.
So through the links and other searching I came across "Woodsmoke" an outfit run by Benn McNutt who was one of Ray Mears' original disciples.
This was to be a 2 week expedition to explore both of the above objectives.
The 1st week was spent outside the remote (light aircraft, dugout canoe, hike) village of Long Karong. Here we learnt about the skills and knowledge of the local Penan Indians. Their life style, food, and forest skills which involved short trips deeper into the forest to find materials like bamboo rattan, and learn about some of the plants and trees they use.
The second week was spent on foot, in the jungle crossing many many rivers and climbing high into the forest covered hills.
It rained every night and on most days during the day. Then the sky would break and sun pushed the temp up to around 50 deg and 98% humidity. A challenge when climbing an exposed 60 deg mountain side!
The need for hydration and keeping the body cool is a constant priority, so the rain and frequent rivers were a blessing. The Penan have no word for "inclement weather"
The nature of an expedition is that not everything can go to plan, and there were a few issues which held us up.
One can't plan for the type of people who turn up and go off piest or language difficulties with guides who may have misunderstood the mission plan. It is after all their home and culturally a bunch of white people who want to walk up and down forested mountains in blazing heat and rain for fun is somewhat implausible to them.
In the main, good health was maintained, we only had one retiree who declared himself unfit for the jungle hike and stayed in the village. The rest of us with only one or two exceptions suffered with foot rot in varying degrees. Cuts and grazes too needed constant attention to prevent infections.
The evening routine thus becomes; tarp and hammock up, kit stowed away from bugs, fire and water, bathing, food and as darkness sets in one has an hour of hammock time attending to cuts grazes bites stings and foot rot.
All part of the experience, and if you like a fixed itinerary and someone to cook for you, or you're a little short on patience then this is not an environment for you. They say the jungle is a mood enhancer. If you're a bit fed up in the morning, you will be positively suicidal by the time you're fire has gone out for the third time in the evening. On the other hand, a positive start and you'll have the best day ever. Fortunately we were a good dynamic and got on very well with each other and nobody got themselves decapitated in the night!
The one dampener for the whole trip for me started a few days after returning.
It would seem that although I had left the jungle, the jungle had not left me. I had a hitch hiker!
It all went wrong on Mon 16th Dec. Flue like symptoms which disappeared over night only return whilst at work around midday. Aches behind the eyes, and kidney area, shoulders etc. By the time I got home around 3pm I had full on teeth chattering shakes and so drank a pint of water and went to bed. That night I had really bad sweat fever that soaked the bed, and a bit more of the shakes.
Couldn't get docs appointment until Thurs 19th at 11am. She did the usual bits and said my temp was a little high and probably ought to go to the hospital for blood checks. ....Now would be good.
A&E took their usual 4 hours to see me. By the time I got in front of the registrar, no bloods had been taken, but they established blood pressure had dropped and I was running a temp of 39.8 (103.6).
I was immediately admitted and put on IV fluids.
Then I start to get a bit hazy. They stuck a catheter in, twice cos the first didn't work properly. When the second stopped working they realised something else was wrong. By that time blood pressure was dropping fairly rapidly.
They were convinced I had Malaria, no matter how many times I explained I'd taken the meds and had no bites. Eventually they decided it might not be Malaria and gave me an IV antibiotic. This on top of what was now 8 litres of saline, several of some kind of electrolyte replacement, and IV paracetemol.
Then I had a massive seizure of the shakes, lasting about 15-20 mins, vomiting and the ****s.
I was now not too aware of what was going on. A doctor came down and told someone off about monitoring something or other and I recall taking an interest in blood pressure readings which had been falling all night and had been 60/40, which is not a good figure. It was now Friday evening around 6pm. I remember looking at the monitor and recall seeing 40/30. Even I know thats not good! and I wondered at what point the heart starts to cavitate! After that I don't know. I was mostley unconscious. At some point I was vaguely aware of being transferred to a trolley and being hurried away with a great deal of fuss, but strangely not caring at all about what was happening. I remember being softly spoken to and things being done with quiet efficiency.
I came to a few hours later to find myself in ITU with a IVs in both arms and cannula central line in my neck attached to a Christmas tree of drug bags and fluids.
4 hours later I was able to dopily sit up and talk. Turns out that Blood pressure had sunk rapidly; septicaemia had set in, leading to kidney failure and other organ damage.
Without being too melodramatic, It could have been the worst possible Christmas especially as the hospital for whatever reason had failed to tell my wife I was in a bit of trouble and been transferred from the ward. The first she new was she came to visit the next the day.
I was six days in ITU being stabilised, before spending another 3 on a ward for observation.
I lost over a stone in weight couldn't talk without losing my breath.
Even now there has not been a diagnosis. All the tests came back negative and I'm still having regular blood tests to monitor body chemistry returning to normal.
The hosp favour Dengue fever, but I think Leptospirosis for very specific reasons.
They also say that had I not been as physically fit as I was, (they particularly liked my heart)! Then the outcome would have been very different.
Really, on expeditions like these, it is important to maintain a level of fitness. I'm no gym hound but preparation I believe saved my life.
The whole thing has put a bit of a dampener on the trip and though I would go back without a moments hesitation, I could not with clear consciousness put my family through that kind of worry again so with massive regret I think its deepest darkest Bournmouth next time!
Truth is that it was a long held ambition of mine to get into virgin jungle rain forest before it's all lost to the loggers.
Secondly I had a latent interest in how indigenous peoples live in these environments.
So through the links and other searching I came across "Woodsmoke" an outfit run by Benn McNutt who was one of Ray Mears' original disciples.
This was to be a 2 week expedition to explore both of the above objectives.
The 1st week was spent outside the remote (light aircraft, dugout canoe, hike) village of Long Karong. Here we learnt about the skills and knowledge of the local Penan Indians. Their life style, food, and forest skills which involved short trips deeper into the forest to find materials like bamboo rattan, and learn about some of the plants and trees they use.
The second week was spent on foot, in the jungle crossing many many rivers and climbing high into the forest covered hills.
It rained every night and on most days during the day. Then the sky would break and sun pushed the temp up to around 50 deg and 98% humidity. A challenge when climbing an exposed 60 deg mountain side!
The need for hydration and keeping the body cool is a constant priority, so the rain and frequent rivers were a blessing. The Penan have no word for "inclement weather"
The nature of an expedition is that not everything can go to plan, and there were a few issues which held us up.
One can't plan for the type of people who turn up and go off piest or language difficulties with guides who may have misunderstood the mission plan. It is after all their home and culturally a bunch of white people who want to walk up and down forested mountains in blazing heat and rain for fun is somewhat implausible to them.
In the main, good health was maintained, we only had one retiree who declared himself unfit for the jungle hike and stayed in the village. The rest of us with only one or two exceptions suffered with foot rot in varying degrees. Cuts and grazes too needed constant attention to prevent infections.
The evening routine thus becomes; tarp and hammock up, kit stowed away from bugs, fire and water, bathing, food and as darkness sets in one has an hour of hammock time attending to cuts grazes bites stings and foot rot.
All part of the experience, and if you like a fixed itinerary and someone to cook for you, or you're a little short on patience then this is not an environment for you. They say the jungle is a mood enhancer. If you're a bit fed up in the morning, you will be positively suicidal by the time you're fire has gone out for the third time in the evening. On the other hand, a positive start and you'll have the best day ever. Fortunately we were a good dynamic and got on very well with each other and nobody got themselves decapitated in the night!
The one dampener for the whole trip for me started a few days after returning.
It would seem that although I had left the jungle, the jungle had not left me. I had a hitch hiker!
It all went wrong on Mon 16th Dec. Flue like symptoms which disappeared over night only return whilst at work around midday. Aches behind the eyes, and kidney area, shoulders etc. By the time I got home around 3pm I had full on teeth chattering shakes and so drank a pint of water and went to bed. That night I had really bad sweat fever that soaked the bed, and a bit more of the shakes.
Couldn't get docs appointment until Thurs 19th at 11am. She did the usual bits and said my temp was a little high and probably ought to go to the hospital for blood checks. ....Now would be good.
A&E took their usual 4 hours to see me. By the time I got in front of the registrar, no bloods had been taken, but they established blood pressure had dropped and I was running a temp of 39.8 (103.6).
I was immediately admitted and put on IV fluids.
Then I start to get a bit hazy. They stuck a catheter in, twice cos the first didn't work properly. When the second stopped working they realised something else was wrong. By that time blood pressure was dropping fairly rapidly.
They were convinced I had Malaria, no matter how many times I explained I'd taken the meds and had no bites. Eventually they decided it might not be Malaria and gave me an IV antibiotic. This on top of what was now 8 litres of saline, several of some kind of electrolyte replacement, and IV paracetemol.
Then I had a massive seizure of the shakes, lasting about 15-20 mins, vomiting and the ****s.
I was now not too aware of what was going on. A doctor came down and told someone off about monitoring something or other and I recall taking an interest in blood pressure readings which had been falling all night and had been 60/40, which is not a good figure. It was now Friday evening around 6pm. I remember looking at the monitor and recall seeing 40/30. Even I know thats not good! and I wondered at what point the heart starts to cavitate! After that I don't know. I was mostley unconscious. At some point I was vaguely aware of being transferred to a trolley and being hurried away with a great deal of fuss, but strangely not caring at all about what was happening. I remember being softly spoken to and things being done with quiet efficiency.
I came to a few hours later to find myself in ITU with a IVs in both arms and cannula central line in my neck attached to a Christmas tree of drug bags and fluids.
4 hours later I was able to dopily sit up and talk. Turns out that Blood pressure had sunk rapidly; septicaemia had set in, leading to kidney failure and other organ damage.
Without being too melodramatic, It could have been the worst possible Christmas especially as the hospital for whatever reason had failed to tell my wife I was in a bit of trouble and been transferred from the ward. The first she new was she came to visit the next the day.
I was six days in ITU being stabilised, before spending another 3 on a ward for observation.
I lost over a stone in weight couldn't talk without losing my breath.
Even now there has not been a diagnosis. All the tests came back negative and I'm still having regular blood tests to monitor body chemistry returning to normal.
The hosp favour Dengue fever, but I think Leptospirosis for very specific reasons.
They also say that had I not been as physically fit as I was, (they particularly liked my heart)! Then the outcome would have been very different.
Really, on expeditions like these, it is important to maintain a level of fitness. I'm no gym hound but preparation I believe saved my life.
The whole thing has put a bit of a dampener on the trip and though I would go back without a moments hesitation, I could not with clear consciousness put my family through that kind of worry again so with massive regret I think its deepest darkest Bournmouth next time!
